Category: Technology

In 1981 the American physicist and Nobel laureate Richard Feynman gave a lecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (with) near Boston, in which he outlined a revolutionary idea. Feynman suggested that the strange physics of quantum mechanics could be used to carry out calculations.

The field of the quantum computer was born. In the several years since then, it has become an intensive research area in computer science. Despite years of hectic development, physicists have not yet built a practical quantum computer that are well suited for daily use and normal conditions (e.g. many quantum computers work at very low temperatures). Questions and uncertainties still remain about the best ways to achieve this milestone.

What exactly is quantum computing and how close we see, how you enter a wide use? Let's take a look at the classic computing, the type of computer that we rely on today, like the laptop that I use to write this piece.

Classic computers process information using combinations of “bits”, its smallest data units. These bits have values ​​of 0 or 1. Everything you do on your computer, from writing e -mails to the website, enables combinations of these bits to be processed in usable signs and their.

Quantum computers, on the other hand, use quantum bits or qubits. In contrast to classic bits, qubits not only represent 0 or 1. Thanks to a property called Quantum Superposition, qubits can be in several conditions at the same time. This means that a qubit 0, 1 or both can be at the same time. This gives quantum computers the opportunity to process massive amounts of data and information at the same time.

Imagine you could examine any possible solution for a problem at once instead of one after the other. This enables you to navigate through a labyrinth by trying out all possible ways at the same time to find the right one. Quantum computers are therefore incredibly quick to find optimal solutions, e.g. B. the shortest way, the fastest way.

Different qubits can be linked to the quantum phenomenon of entanglement.
Jurik Peter / Shutterstock

After a delay or an unexpected incident, think of the extremely complex problem of the rescheduling of airlines. This happens with regularity in the real world, but the solutions used may not be the best or optimal ones. In order to determine the optimal answers, standard computers would have to take into account all possible combinations of moving, redirecting, delays, cancellation or groups.

Every day there are more than 45,000 flights organized by over 500 airlines and combine more than 4,000 airports. This problem would take years for a classic computer to be solved.

On the other hand, a quantum computer could try all of these options at the same time and create the best configuration organically. Quibits also have a physical property called entanglement. If qubits are involved, the condition of a quBis can depend on the condition of another, no matter how far they are apart.

This is something that in turn has no counterpart in the classic computer. Due to the complication, quantum computers can solve certain problems exponentially faster than conventional computers.

A common question is whether quantum computers completely replace classic computers or not. The short answer is no, at least not in the foreseeable future. Quantum computers are incredibly powerful to solve specific problems – e.g. B. the simulation of the interactions between different molecules, to find the best solution from many options or to deal with encryption and decryption. However, they are not suitable for any kind of task.

Classic computers process a calculation at a time in a linear order and follow algorithms (sentences of mathematical rules for carrying out certain computing tasks) that were designed for use with classic bits that are either 0 or 1. This makes them extremely predictable, robust and less susceptible to mistakes than quantum machines. Classic computers continue to play a dominant role for everyday computer needs such as word processing or searching the Internet.

There are at least two reasons for this. The first is practical. It is extremely difficult to create a quantum computer that can carry out reliable calculations. The quantum world is incredibly volatile and qubits can be easily disturbed by things in your area, such as: B. disorders from electromagnetic radiation, which makes it vulnerable to errors.

The second reason lies in the inherent uncertainty in dealing with qubits. Since qubits are overlaid (neither a 0 nor 1) they are not as predictable as the bits used in the classic computer. Physicists therefore describe qubits and their calculations regarding probabilities. This means that the same problem that uses the same quantum algorithm is executed several times on the same quantum computer can return a different solution each time.

In order to tackle this uncertainty, quantum algorithms are usually carried out several times. The results are then statistically analyzed to determine the most likely solution. This approach enables researchers to extract meaningful information from the inherent of probable quantum calculations.

From a commercial point of view, the development of quantum computers is still in the early phases, but the landscape is very diverse because many new companies occur every year. It is fascinating to see that in addition to large, established companies such as IBM and Google, new contributions such as IQM, Pasqal and startups such as Alice and Bob join. They all work to make quantum computers more reliable, more scalable and accessible.

In the past, the manufacturers have drawn attention to the number of qubits in their quantum computers as a measure of the powerful machine. Manufacturers are increasingly prioritizing opportunities to correct the errors for which quantum computers are susceptible. This shift is crucial for the development of a large scale, fault -tolerant quantum computers, since these techniques are essential for improving their user -friendliness.

The latest quantum chip from Google, Willow, recently showed remarkable progress in this area. The more qubits Google is used in Willow, the more it reduced the errors. This performance is a significant step in the establishment of economically relevant quantum computers that can revolutionize fields such as medicine, energy and AI.

After more than 40 years, Quantum Computing is still in its infancy, but considerable progress is expected in the next decade. The probabilistic nature of these machines is a fundamental difference between quantum and classical computing. It is what makes them fragile and difficult to develop and scale.

At the same time, it is what makes you a very powerful tool in order to solve optimization problems and examine several solutions at the same time, faster and more efficient, the classic computers can.

Domenico Vicinanza, extraordinary professor of intelligent systems and data science, Anglia Ruskin University

This article will be released from the conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Deepseek sent waves through the global tech landscape this week when she rose via Chatgpt in the App Store from Apple. The meteoric increase has changed the dynamics of the US China Tech competition, shocked global tech shares and redesigned the future direction of the development of artificial intelligence (AI).

In the industry, which was created by Deepseek's rise to importance, one question is great: What does this mean for the strategy of the third largest worldwide leading nation for AI development – the United Kingdom?

The generative KI -era started by publishing Chatgpt on November 30, 2022, as large language models (LLMS) a mainstream consciousness entered and began to redesign industries and workflows, while everyday users are new ways to write, brainstorming, search and explored code. We are now seeing the “Deepseek moment”-a central shift, which shows the livelihood of a more efficient and cheaper approach for AI development.

Deepseek is not just an AI tool. In contrast to Chatgpt and other important LLMs, which were developed by Tech giants and Ki -Startups in the USA and Europe, Deepseek represents a significant development in the way in which AI models are developed and trained.

Most of existing approaches are based on large-scale computer performance and data records (for “training” or improving the AI ​​systems), which limits the development to very few extremely wealthy market participants. Deepseek not only shows a much cheaper and efficient type of AI models, the open source with license (after the development of the Massachusett Institute of Technology) users can use and develop the tool.

This helps to democratize the AI ​​and to record the Coat of the US company Openai – whose original mission was to “build up artificial general intelligence (AGI), which is safe and benefits all of humanity”, so that smaller actors in the room and the innovation can occur.

Deepseek has redesigned the competitive landscape by making the latest AI development accessible and affordable for everyone and can flourish the innovations beyond the limits of large, resource-rich organizations and countries.

It has also determined a new benchmark for the efficiency of its approach by even exceeding its model to a fraction of the costs and the performance of most LLMs. By using innovative algorithms and architectures, it provides superior results with significantly lower arithmetic requirements and environmental effects.

Why Deepseek counts

Deepseek was designed by a group of quantitative trade experts in China. The
Unconventional origin provides Great Britain and the USA.

While Great Britain – in particular London – has long attracted scientific and technological excellence, many of the highest young graduates have tended to disproportionately choose for careers in the financial sector, which corresponds to the costs for innovations in other critical sectors such as AI. The diversification of experts for MINT experts (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) can achieve transformative results.

The latest and much published 50-point action plan of the British government for AI offers insights into the progressive intention, but also showed a lack of boldness to advance real changes. Incremental steps are not sufficient in such a fast -moving environment. Great Britain needs a new plan – one that uses its unique strengths and at the same time concerns systemic weaknesses.

First, it is important to recognize that the comparative advantage of the United Kingdom lies in its leading interdisciplinary specialist knowledge. World-class universities, flourishing fintech and dynamic professional services and creative sectors offer fertile soil for AI applications that go beyond traditional technical silos. The interface of AI with finances, law, creative industry and medicine offers opportunities to lead in some niches but highly effective areas.

The financing and the regulatory framework conditions are revised. Deepseek's development underlines the importance of agile, well -financed ecosystems that can support large, ambitious “Mondschotten” projects. Current British financing mechanisms are bureaucratic and fragmented, which favors incremental innovations compared to radical breakdowns, which sometimes suffocate innovations instead of promoting them. The simplification of the grants and the offer of targeted tax incentives for AI startups would be a healthy start.

After all, it will be crucial for Great Britain to keep its talent in the country. The British AI sector is facing a brain drain because top talents in the USA and China better financed opportunities. Initiatives such as public-private partnerships for the development of AI research can help to anchor talents at home.

Deepseek's climb is an excellent example of strategic foresight and execution. It not only aims to improve existing models, but also defines the limits of the development and use of the AI ​​and at the same time efficient, inexpensive approaches that can achieve amazing results. Great Britain should take on a similarly ambitious way of thinking and focus on areas in which it can set global standards instead of playing up.

AI's geopolitics cannot be ignored either. While the USA and China compete with each other, Great Britain plays a crucial role as a trustworthy agent and ethical guide in the AI ​​government. By committed to the transparent AI standards and promotes international cooperation, it can leave it on the global stage about its weight.

Deepseek's success should serve as a wake -up call. Great Britain has talent, institutions and entrepreneurship as an important leading player in the AI ​​- but it has to act decisively and now determined.

It is time to remove token gestures and hug brave strategies that move the needle and position Great Britain as a leader in a AI-controlled future. This moment requires action, not just more conversations.

Deepseek has increased the bar. It is now in Great Britain to hit it.

Feng Li, Chairman of Information Management, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation, Bayes Business School, City St. George's, University of London

This article will be released from the conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Do you remember that it was a novelty to discover a drone in the sky? Now it is like playing a whack-a-mole with aircraft. Delivery dronesPresent Military dronePresent AI droneHobby drones – Our sky is more bustling than the queue in airport safety. Without air traffic control, we are a step of Midair collisions and drones away and argue about parking spaces.

Enter Airdodge, a Norwegian startup that gets in to tame chaos. The company based in Oslo has just secured a round of financing of $ 500,000, which is led by VC companies Nordic Makers and antlers. The investment will help Airdodge develop its U-space software platform in order to manage large-scale drone operations across Europe.

“At Airdodge we imagine a future in which drones seamlessly integrate into airspace and contribute positively to various industries and at the same time ensure security and compliance,” said Umar Chughtai, who founded AirdoDGE 2022. U-space platform that bring us closer to the realization of this vision. ”

The Airdodge platform offers a real-time map of drone activity and aims to simplify the process of receiving flight permits. The technology matches the EUS U-room Standards that are “Developed to enable safe, efficient and safe access to airspace for a large number of unmanned aircraft that work automatically and beyond the visual line of vision. “”

The 💜 the EU technology

The latest rumors from the EU -Tech scene, a story of our wise old founder Boris and some questionable KI art. It is free of charge every week in your inbox. Register now!

In 2018, London Gatwick Airport had to be closed After drones had been flown near the runway. The incident concerned around 1,000 flights and 140,000 passengers. Many similar incidents have occurred over the years Stockholm To Frankfurt.

If the tech of Airdo gave during the Gatwick fiasco, it would have discovered the villain drones in real time, faster as airport safety and possibly flying flights smoothly. By enforcing FL-Fly zones and the synchronization of drones with air traffic control, the platform may have saved 140,000 passengers a lot of headache (and missed connections).

“Drone technology has the potential to have a positive effect on society, the economy and public services, but there is still no way to ensure security,” said Kristian Jul Røsjø, partner at Antler. “Top -class disorders hinder the development of this technology and Airdodge will offer an urgently needed solution.”

Airdodge will use the prepared financing to accelerate the development of its platform. The company aims to start the alpha version in mid-2025.

The market for drone services is increasing throughout the EU. One projection The assessment of € 14.5 billion until 2030 and 145,000 new jobs. But if drones multiply, the challenges do it too.

“We have the drones, but we lack the infrastructure,” said Nima Tisdall, partner at Nordic Makers. “In this case, the infrastructure are not streets, plumber or electrical wires. but essential communication systems. “

Tisdall added that Airdodge had unusual strengths for the region.

“The founding team is energetic and ambitious qualities that are surprisingly rare in Nordic entrepreneurs, but an essential part of the construction of a category-wins business,” she said. “We are pleased to support a local player who can help to unlock the large -scale introduction of drones across Europe.”

A surge in electric vehicle sales in the final months of last year could continue into 2025 as consumers continue to take advantage of federal tax incentives, according to an Associated Press report.

On Inauguration Day, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Defriding American Energy,” which states that the government “will consider eliminating unfair subsidies and other ill-conceived government-imposed market distortions targeting other technologies.” ”

During his campaign, Trump's team said it planned to end the Biden administration's $7,500 tax credit for purchasing or leasing an EV, although it did not provide a timeline for doing so.

Please enable JavaScript to view this content

Americans rushed to take advantage of the incentive, driving a surge of more than 15% in EV sales in the fourth quarter, according to Cox Automotive.

Recent surveys show that incentives have played a major role in driving EV sales in recent years and that the majority of Americans support government incentives to purchase an EV.

Meanwhile, language in Trump's executive order that says his administration is still considering its options leaves room for ambiguity about the timing of its application.

“Temporarily, electric vehicle sales may soar as the auto cow army rushes to take advantage of existing tax credits,” the Associated Press report said.

To repeal the EV tax credit, the Trump administration must seek approval from Congress. The trial is likely to take place as part of broader negotiations over extending Trump's first tax cuts, which expire towards the end of 2025.

It's also not entirely clear whether the Trump administration will seek to end the entire $7,500 EV tax incentive. To maintain the incentive to purchase an EV, the restrictions apply to high-income households and EVs with non-U.S. batteries. However, these restrictions do not apply to leasing an EV.

According to Cox Automotive, members of the Trump administration are particularly interested in “ending this leasing loophole, which was created in part to appease Korean and Japanese automakers that have invested billions in U.S. debt.”

Ending rebates and other subsidies for electric vehicles is also likely to pose challenges, whether legal or political, from various players.

The Zero Emission Transportation Association (Zeta), a trade group whose members include Tesla, Waymo, Rivian and Uber, has highlighted incentives for both the production and sale of EVs.

Zeta says the incentives for EV and battery makers have led to huge investments and jobs in Republican states like Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan and Georgia.

There is currently at least one nuclear, nuclear submarine that secretly patrols the waters from Great Britain. The U boat is driven by a nuclear reactor, so that it can go undetected undetected for over 20 years without being able to refuel. Oh, and it is also armed with eight nuclear warheads – six times more powerful than the atomic bomb fell on Hiroshima.

Since 1969, the Royal Navy has managed at least one of these split submarines in the water at all times. The ships are the backbone of the nuclear deterrence in Great Britain and send a huge warning to other nations that may get funny ideas.

Rolls-Royce announced today that it has secured a full one £ 9 billion Treaty to maintain and upgrade the Navy's U -boat reactors. As part of the deal, the British engineering office will also build reactors for the new class of nuclear-powered submarines in Great Britain.

The Royal Navy submarine fleet is divided between the SSNS (Soldute Class Attack Submarines) and the ballistic rocket submarines (SSBNS) of the Vanguard class. The ingenious class are nuclear companies, but conventionally armed. Six of seven planned ships are already ready for operation. The marine finally plans to replace the Astutes with SSN-Aukus-U-boats, the result of a collaboration with the USA and Australia.

In the meantime, the Vanguard class, which was put into service for the first time in 1994, forms the backbone of the nuclear deterrence of the United Kingdom and bears Trident II D5 nuclear brings. The Navy plans to replace the Vanguards in the early 2030s with the SSBNs of the Dreadnoughoughnoughthnohnoughnought class.

The next big thing? Could you be …

The TNW conference is here to support startups and scale -ups to become the next big thing. Be part of the trip.

As part of the so-called unit contract, Rolls-Royce will design, manufacture and support the new pressure water reactors (PWRS) of the new sub-pressure devices. These machines use uranium to generate heat and turn water into steam that produce a turbine into electricity. The steam then cools down and the process is repeated.

The unit contract is The largest Ministry of Defense Rolls-Royce ended up in its 121-year history. The British government is predictable to celebrate the new contract as a victory for national security and the creation of jobs.

“National security is a basis for the change plan of our government, and this is a clear demonstration of our engagement for the nuclear deterrence of the United Kingdom, which is our final insurance policy in a more dangerous world.” Said Defense Minister John Healey.

The contract is expected Create more than 1,000 jobs in Great Britain and protect 4,000 more roles.

Donald Trump's big AI announcement caused a sensation on both sides of the Atlantic.

Trump announced this week that Openai, Softbank and Oracle founded a joint venture called Stargate, which will invest $ 500 billion in the AI ​​infrastructure. The companies stated that $ 100 billion of financing were immediately available. The rest is to be used in the next four years.

Trump described Stargate as “by far the largest AI infrastructure project in history”. He added that the project would ensure that “the future of technology” is in the United States.

Masayoshi Son, the CEO of Softbank, had another courageous prediction. He said the company would drive “artificial superintelligence”.

The 💜 EU technology

The latest rumors from the EU Tech scene, a story of our wise founder Boris and questionable AI art. It is free of charge every week in your inbox. Register now!

European technology leaders shared this opinion – however, feared that the continent of American power could be obliged.

David Villalón, CEO and co-founder of the Spanish AI startup Mixillustrated this mixture of excitement and concern.

“This massive investment shows that the next stage in the growth of AI – artificial superintelligence – is no longer a marginal concept, but an inevitable reality that requires unprecedented investments in the infrastructure, comparable to the course for the next industrial revolution,” he said.

Villalón added that the transition requires powerful new computing capacities. Stargate will bring a large dose of it to the United States. European technology leaders have required a reaction of the continent

“Without extensive capital commitments and a courageous approach to the AI ​​infrastructure, Europe risks to leave its future to global actors who control the fuel of tomorrow.” Villa said.

Europe's AI is worried

Villalón referred to the example of his home country. In his opinion, Spain has an “immense potential” in the field of renewable energies, but needs a considerable funding boost to remain competitive and strategically independent worldwide.

“Spain spends peanuts for meaningless AI projects while it ignores or does not understand what is necessary-calculations,” he said.

Similar fears echoed across Europe. Jan Marquardt, CEO of the German startup Zivee, warned that AI companies need a strong infrastructure, large financing and minimal regulation “that are available in the USA-and not in Europe.” Christian Klein, CEO of the German technology company SAP, added that Stargate should be “a wake -up call” for the continent.

Villalón shares her concerns.

“To use a football analogy: Europe is currently in the relegation zone, while the United States and China-with its budgets, its quality and their ambition-are acting in the Champions League,” he said.

Ah, quantum computing… that moonshot technology full of potential, full of promise – and packed with enough jargon to make the average person cry.

Qubits, entanglement, superposition, trapped ions, Schrödinger's cat. These terms sound strange because the world of quantum mechanics – in which things can exist in multiple states at the same time – Is strange.

And that's why I want you to bear with me as I bring you this latest news from the vibrant quantum computing startup scene.

ZuriQ, a spin-out from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, has raised $4.2 million to commercialize a new chip architecture that could dramatically increase the number of qubits a trapped-ion quantum computer can process, boosting its computing power.

“The space for devices with a few qubits to serve as toy models is already saturated, and devices with 20-40 qubits will not bring big gains,” said Pavel Hrmo, CEO of ZuriQ. “We need to focus on long-term scalability.”

ZuriQ wants to build a quantum computer with thousands of qubits that is powerful enough to solve incredibly complex problems and revolutionize fields from medicine to cryptography.

How can it do this, you ask? Well, it vaguely has something to do with airplanes, cars and magnetic fields. But first, a quick science lesson.

Qubits are the basic units of information in a quantum computer. Unlike bits in a regular computer, which can only be 0 or 1, qubits can be 0, 1, or both at the same time. This allows quantum computers to solve many problems at once, making them light years faster than even today's best supercomputers.

There are two main types of quantum computers currently in development. The first and most widely used are superconducting quantum computers, developed by companies such as Google and IBM. They use tiny loops of supercooled metal to create qubits. These machines are lightning fast. However, they must be adhered to −273°C at any time and are more error prone than their main competitor, the trapped ion machine.

Trapped ion quantum computers use charged atoms (ions) as qubits. Electric and magnetic fields trap these ions in place and lasers control them to perform calculations. They are very stable and precise, but slower than superconducting quantum computers because of a fatal flaw: ions arranged in a row like cars in a traffic jam become crowded and inefficient as more qubits are added.

That's why increasing the number of qubits in a trapped-ion quantum computer has proven to be a major obstacle for companies developing them, like IonQ and Quantinium – limiting their capabilities. That may be the case until now.

Releasing qubits

ZuriQ has developed a completely new way to design trapped-ion quantum computers by allowing ions (the qubits) to move freely in two dimensions on a quantum chip rather than being restricted to one-dimensional chains. This allows qubits to move in all spatial directions like an airplane, instead of like cars driving across streets and intersections.

If the startup's technology is all it promises, it could enable quantum computers using trapped ions to far surpass the capabilities of their superconducting counterparts.

ZuriQ is driven by fresh financial resources is on track to demonstrate its first machine prototype by the end of this year. The startup said it wants to become the world leader in quantum computing.

“We were very impressed with the speed of implementation of the ZuriQ founding team and the pace of progress towards technical milestones that have previously been difficult to achieve in the community,” said Pascal Mathis, Partner at The Switzerland-based VC Founderfulwhich led the investment round.

The funding comes at an exciting time for quantum computing. Since Google, there has been great interest in this area presented an experimental machine that was able to solve a mathematical equation in five minutes that a conventional supercomputer couldn't do in 10 septillion years – that's older than the universe. The breakthrough brought the dream of quantum computing one step closer to reality. Nevertheless, Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang was quick to do so Pour cold water on the hype, warns at CES 2025 that practical quantum applications are still 15 to 30 years away.

The Stuttgart-based company Sereact has secured itself 25 million euros to further develop its integrated AI software, which enables robots to perform tasks they were never trained for.

“With our technology, robots act according to the situation, instead of following rigidly programmed processes. They adapt to dynamic tasks in real time, enabling an unprecedented level of autonomy,” says Ralf Gulde, CEO and co-founder of Sereact (short for “Sense, Reason, Act”).

Former Spotify and Klarna supporter To create led the Serie A round. Existing investors Point Nine and Air Street Capital also participated, as did several prominent angel investors. These include former Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg, former DeepMind product manager Mehdi Ghissassi and former Skype manager Ott Kaukver.

Typically, robots – like these Roomba vacuum cleaners – are hard-coded. This means that they follow precise instructions that allow them to repeat certain tasks.

Sereacts eHowever, embodied AI acts like a robot's brain, allowing them to analyze and even learn new tasks on the go. This is thanks to a machine learning technique called “Zero-Shot Visual Reasoning,” which allows AI to understand and interpret images without requiring any prior specialized training for these types of images.

The model, called PickGPT, makes robots more intelligent. This also means people don't have to pre-program them for every task, saving time for the companies that use them.

“The possibilities here are endless and it’s great to see this kind of innovation coming from Europe,” said Johan Brenner, General Partner at Creandum.

Sereacts The approach is similar to that of British startup Wayve, which has raised $1 billion in Europe Largest AI funding round ever last year. But while Wayve's technology is aimed at autonomous vehicles, Sereact focuses on logistics and warehouse robots that do things like Picking and packing, sorting and exporting goods Quality Control controls.

Companies such as BMW, Daimler Truck, Bol and Active Ants have already introduced Sereact's software in their factories. However, the startup now wants to go beyond the warehouse.

Sereact said it will use the new funding to develop new “robotic hardware platforms” such as mobile robots and humanoids. The company also plans to expand its US presence.

“We are on an exciting path to becoming the leading platform for robotics applications that change the daily lives of people and companies forever,” said Gulde.

And then everything came together.

Find a suitable, accessible and available charging station; charge; For many electric vehicle (EV) drivers in the U.S., having to pay for service before driving is anything but a seamless experience

That's about to change thanks to a just-announced initiative from the Biden administration and a private consortium of charging networks, automakers and other mid-level infrastructure players.

Please enable JavaScript to view this content

The consortium says it will launch a universal plug-and-charge protocol in 2025 to allow all electric vehicles to easily plug in and charge at all public stations in the United States.

“Universal Plug & Charge improves the electric fueling experience – making it even easier than fueling with gasoline,” Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, said in a statement. “We are quickly approaching a future where any electric vehicle driver can simply plug in, charge and go; The network communicates with your car and processes the payment seamlessly.”

In a recent study, research firm Accenture cited charging infrastructure as one of the top three reasons stopping many from purchasing an electric vehicle – the other two being high upfront costs and potential lifestyle disruption.

At least in the US, charging infrastructure has grown rapidly in recent years, led by companies like Chargepoint, Tesla's SuperCharger network, Electrify America and the Rivian Adventure network. Even big box retailers like Costco and Walmart are expanding their electric vehicle charging capacity.

However, electric vehicle drivers continue to have a rather fragmented charging experience.

On the one hand, many EV models still have different charging ports – the old Combined Charging System (CCS) or Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS). On the other hand, electric vehicle drivers have relied on apps from their vehicle manufacturers for everything from finding the right charging stations to connecting to different payment platforms.

As soon as the new universal plug and charge protocol is implemented, vehicles, chargers and charging networks will be able to “communicate with each other” for the first time.

“No more using multiple apps or payment methods,” says the consortium. For electric vehicle drivers, this promises “faster, automated charging with every public station and every car.”

Four billion years ago, Earth was a fiery, turbulent world of molten rock, volcanic eruptions and toxic skies, with scorching heat and the constant threat of asteroid impacts.

Luckily, our planet has cooled down a bit since then. However, the Earth still radiates large amounts of geothermal energy. It's a clean, limitless, always-on source of energy that lies beneath our feet – we just have to dig for it. Or let robots do the hard work for us.

Borobotics, a startup from Switzerland, has developed an autonomous drilling machine – dubbed the “world's most powerful worm” – that promises to make harnessing geothermal energy cheaper and more accessible to everyone.

“Drilling will become possible on properties where this would be unthinkable today – small gardens, parking lots and possibly even basements.” Moritz Pill, co-founder of Borobotics, tells TNW.

The next big thing? Maybe it's you…

The TNW Conference is here to help startups and scaleups become the next big thing. Be part of the journey. Price increase on Friday.

With a width of just 13.5 cm and a length of 2.8 meters, the compact drilling robot can dig almost anywhere silently. It could make geothermal energy a viable energy source for the backyard.

A 3D rendering of Borobotics' geothermal drilling rig. Photo credit: Borobotics

The machine – named “Grabowski” after the famous cartoon mole – is the world’s first geothermal drilling machine that works autonomously, according to the startup. Sensors in Grabowski's head allow him to detect what type of material he is drilling through. If it encounters a water source or a gas reservoir on the way down, the robot worm automatically closes the borehole. And unlike the industry's standard diesel-powered drills, the machine plugs into a standard electrical outlet.

However, Grabowski's modest frame has some disadvantages. The device is less powerful than larger rigs. It is also slower and can only dig to a maximum depth of 500 meters. But it is said that this is more than sufficient for Borobotics' target market.

Unlimited heat right under our feet

While most geothermal startups aim to generate utility-scale electricity by digging many kilometers beneath the Earth's crust, Borobotics takes a superficial approach.

“In many European countries, the average temperature is 14 degrees Celsius at a depth of 250 meters,” he says Pill. “This is ideal for heating efficiently in winter and still being cold enough to cool the building in summer.”

Borobotics wants to tap into that budding Demand for geothermal heat pumps. These devices use a network of underground pipes to transfer heat from beneath the earth to a building on the surface. Under the right conditions, they also act as air conditioning.

Heating and cooling of buildings accounts for half global energy consumptionthe lion's share of this comes from combustion fossil fuels like natural gas.

In order to curb emissions, the EU has committed to installing them 43 million new heat pumps between 2023 and 2030 as part of the The bloc's €300 billion REPowerEU plan.

The advantages are obvious. Heat pumps use electricity instead of fossil fuels to transfer heat or cold air. You are ready three times more efficient than the equivalent gas boiler. If they are connected to a renewable energy source, even better.

The EU supports both geothermal and air source heat pumps, but the latter dominate due to lower costs and easier installation. This is despite the fact that geothermal heat pumps are more efficient because they rely on stability underground Warmth instead of fluctuating outside temperatures.

“The potential of geothermal heat pumps to decarbonize Europe is significant as long as costs fall“,” Torsten Kolind, managing partner at Underground Ventures, tells TNW. “The moment that happens, the market is open.”

Copenhagen-based Underground Ventures is the world's first VC dedicated exclusively to funding geothermal technology startups. The company led the CHF by Borobotics 1.3 million (€1.38 million) Pre-seed funding round announced this week.

The Zurich-based Borobotics team has just closed its first major financing round. Photo credit: Borobotics

Due to their small size Borobotics says its drill is “very resource efficient” to manufacture and maintain. What's more, Grabowski's autonomous abilities aren't just cool, they also have a hidden advantage.

Pill paints the following picture:

“A small team comes to the construction site with a Sprinter van that contains everything needed for drilling,” he explains. “You set up the drill in half a day and from then on it works autonomously.”

Pill predicts that one or two people will be able to handle 10-13 drilling sites at a time. If true, it means drilling companies can cover more ground in less time, even if Grabowski is a bit more sluggish than its fossil fuel-powered relatives.

Given the EU chronic deficiency For many heat pump installers, an autonomous drilling robot can be a welcome aid.

Despite the obvious potential, Borobotics is still in its infancy. Founded in 2023, the company is currently developing its first functional prototype. Supported by the first large amount of financing, the company wants to test the robot under real conditions this year.

Geothermal technology is becoming increasingly popular

In December, the International Energy Agency (IEA) released its first report on geothermal energy in over 10 years. In the report, the IEA predicted that geothermal energy could provide a solution 15% of global energy demand by 2050from today only 1%.

Previously, geothermal projects were largely government-led and limited to volcanically active regions such as Iceland or New Zealand, where hot water bubbles at or near the surface. But the next wave of installations is likely to be led by startups that have cutting-edge technology that allows them to dig deeper and more efficiently.

Geothermal energy startups attracted $650 million in VC funding in 2024, the highest ever recorded, it says Dealroom data. One of these is US-based Fervo Energy, which is backed by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Google has already connected to the Fervo geothermal plant in Nevada power one of its data centers. Another upstart is Canadian company Eavor, which is currently building a giant underground “radiator” in Germany that could do this heat an entire city.

“The problem has always been geology and economics, but the advances of startups like Fervo and Eavor in recent years have changed the game,” he says Colind.

While US startups are ahead, Europe is well prepared for competition.

“Europe has excellent geothermal underground conditions and, unlike America, also has a strong tradition in district heating,” says Kolind. The investor believes it is only a matter of time before Europe's investors and policymakers fully embrace geothermal technology.

“Unlike natural gas and coal, it is free of fossil fuels. Unlike wind and solar, it is always on. And unlike nuclear energy, it is geopolitically harmless,” he says.